Sunday, April 16, at Church of the Redeemer
Conducted by Dr. Joseph Holt
Featuring musicians from the Sarasota Orchestra, soloists and the full chorus.
Passages of life are expressed through the beauty of majestic choral music: Bach’s pastoral setting of the “Twenty-Third Psalm” paired with Mozart’s “Requiem,” a poignant and dramatic contemplation of eternity.
(March 30, 2023) Choral Artists of Sarasota’s 44th season, entitled “United in Song,” continues with Mozart’s “Requiem,” Sunday, April 16, 7 p.m., at Church of the Redeemer, 222 S. Palm Avenue, Sarasota. In this concert, passages of life are expressed through the beauty of majestic choral music featured in Bach’s Cantata 104, “Du Hirte Israel, höre” (“You Shepherd of Israel, hear”), a setting of the “Twenty-Third Psalm,” paired with Mozart’s “Requiem,” a poignant and dramatic contemplation of eternity. Tickets are $35; students $5. A “Meet the Music” session with Holt is Thursday, April 13, 5:30-7 p.m., at Art to Walk On, 16 South Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota. The event, free to all ticket holders for the concert, includes a wine and hors d’oeuvre reception and a presentation by Holt with vocal soloists highlighting the program. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ChoralArtistsSarasota.org or call 941-387-4900.
Joseph Holt, the artistic director of Choral Artists, says that the week just after Easter is an appropriate time to present these two works. “Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ blends the sorrow and joy inherent in the commemoration of death and resurrection—the entry to eternal happiness. The ‘Twenty-Third Psalm’ is a tribute to life and trust in God, using the metaphor of the good shepherd leading his flock.” Holt explains that Bach wrote this cantata to be sung in church on the second Sunday after Easter.
“Bach’s work addresses the comfort in life; Mozart’s touches on the comfort after life,” says Holt.
“Mozart discovered the works of Bach later in his life—and he greatly admired Bach’s genius,” says Holt. “There are elements of Bach that crop up in Mozart’s work; this is evident in his religious compositions and certainly in the fugues in the ‘Requiem.’ Bach was clearly on Mozart’s brain.”
The concert features soloists Jenny Kim-Godfrey, soprano; Krista Laskowski, alto; John Kaneklides, tenor; William Socolof, bass; and Sam Nelson, organ. It also features a chamber orchestra comprised of musicians from the Sarasota Orchestra and the 32 singers of the Choral Artists.
This year’s Choral Artists’ season is sponsored, in part, by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Choral Artists of Sarasota’s 2022-2023 season concludes with:
American Fanfare: Celebrate America with choral fireworks, rousing marches and patriotic fervor. Old Glory and Uncle Sam are feted in this annual performance featuring the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble and Choral Artists of Sarasota. Musical fireworks abound in this annual salute to America. July 4, 4:30 p.m., at Sarasota Opera House, 61 North Palm Avenue, Sarasota. Tickets: $35; students $5.
The Choral Artists of Sarasota comprises 32 of the region’s most notable professional singers. Eight young singers, ages 16 to 22, are also invited to join the group each year, as part of the organization’s educational outreach. One of these gifted singers will be awarded the new Ann Stephenson Moe Apprentice Scholarship, a funding program to support either private lessons or vocal training at an institution of higher learning. “Ensuring the future of choral music means investing in the next generation of music lovers,” says Susan Burke, executive director of Choral Artists of Sarasota. “That means engaging young people on their own terms.”
About the Choral Artists of Sarasota
The Choral Artists of Sarasota, entering its 44th season, features 32 of the region’s most notable professional singers and eight apprentice singers. The group celebrates the rich, artistic expressiveness of choral music through innovative repertoire, inspired performances and stimulating educational outreach. Under the artistic direction of Dr. Joseph Holt, Choral Artists of Sarasota performs a repertoire spanning four centuries, and includes symphonic choral works, intimate madrigals, folk songs, close-harmony jazz, and Broadway show music. The ensemble also specializes in premiere performances of lesser-known choral works—particularly music by living American composers. Choral Artists of Sarasota has performed premieres by René Clausen, Dick Hyman, Robert Levin, Gwyneth Walker and James Grant. As part of the organization’s educational outreach, eight young singers from area schools, colleges and universities, ages 16 to 22, are invited to join the group each year. For more information, visit www.ChoralArtistsSarasota.org.